Everyone Called This 95%-Rated Indie Film a Masterpiece – I Call It Two Hours of My Life I'll Never Get Back

Considered a classic, Wim Wenders' Paris, Texas has a 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes and the Palme d'Or at Cannes under its belt – it is widely regarded as one of the greatest road movies of all time.

For decades, critics have written raving essays about its beauty, depth, and meditative nature. However, I hate it.

To me, Wenders' film seems like a story afraid to be told to the end. It's a story where the main character doesn't change, problems aren't resolved, and the two-hour wait for the denouement ends in a whimper.

What Is 'Paris, Texas' About?

Travis appears out of nowhere – he's walking through the desert when he collapses and is found by his brother, Walt. He has been absent from his family's lives for four years, and now he returns, but remembers almost nothing and refuses to talk.

Walt brings Travis to Los Angeles, where Travis' young son, Hunter, whom Walt and his wife Anne have been raising all these years, lives.

Gradually emerging from his stupor, Travis begins to communicate with his son. Then, he suddenly decides to set out in search of his ex-wife, Jane, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

In 'Paris, Texas' the Main Character Doesn't Change and the Problems Don't Get Solved

Every narrative is a journey – a character sets out, overcomes crises, and returns a changed person. This structure is completely absent from Paris, Texas.

Travis wants to be a good father, yet he ultimately abandons his son. He wants to find his ex-wife and make amends, and he does, but there's no redemption. He dreams of reaching Paris, Texas, the place "where it all began," but he never gets there.

We see a man moving by inertia and obeying subconscious impulses. However, he doesn't change at all – he's as lost and detached in the final scene as he was in the first.

Jane doesn't change either. Yes, she agrees to take Hunter in, but are we led to believe that she's ready to become a mother? Her words are empty because there's no action behind them.

Hunter would be better off with adoptive parents, yet Travis decides otherwise for some reason. A child shouldn't have to make decisions like that, but the movie doesn't seem to care.

'Paris, Texas' Is an Hour and a Half of Emptiness & a Ten-Minute Dialogue That You Won't Believe

The entire movie is a hazy journey – beautiful and hypnotic, yet ultimately empty. We don't know how Travis feels, we don't see his anger, fear, or despair. He simply moves from place to place, leaving viewers to wonder: why and what drives him?

We aren't shown the enormity of his past actions, nor do we see the brink of his downfall. The conflict isn't shown – it's told. This narrative takes place in a phone booth and lasts 15 minutes, with half-minute pauses.

Paris, Texas begins as a surreal riddle, ignored by the other characters. "Where have you been for four years? Where's your wife? Don't want to answer? Okay, pick Hunter up after school." What?

Wim Wenders apparently filmed the movie for himself. He was inspired by the book and saw his own experiences in the story. However, he was afraid to fully reveal it, leaving the viewer in a void.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Paris, Texas'?

• Paris, Texas has 95% from critics and 93% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 8.1/10.

• On Letterboxd, Paris, Texas scored 4.4/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Paris, Texas'?

Paris, Texas is available to stream on The Criterion Channel.